It hasn't been just since 9/11. Since I was first in the Gulf in the late 80's there has been one horror story after another about Canadian companies. I have great affection for my nearby neighbors, but I fear that many of these young Canadians that they hire are terribly naive and way too easy to scam and abuse. I'm sure that there are some good Canadian companies placing teachers, but so far NONE of them seem to have been in the Middle East. (and BTW, agencies from other countries don't seem to be much better in the gulf...)

I get so tired of seeing teachers used and abused by these companies. Not to mention that they end up not providing a decent education to the students either. (frustrated teachers too often with no credentials or experience, and limited resources with no supervison...)

I hate to keep repeating myself, but the best advice is to avoid them all and only take jobs that are direct hire preferably from national universities. A few of the private colleges are OK, but most of them are bad employers too.

My contract by the way was terminated--not because I was doing a bad job; in fact, I walked away with a glowing letter of recommendation from my academic director who was actually put off by the contractor for firing one of his most experienced teachers. He also wasn't aware his staff is here only temproraily and many are planning on bidding M'salama in July.

By my count, this is the third job you've been fired from in recent memory. Of course, it always seems to happen to you because either somebody is out to get you or somebody is acting unreasonably; I suppose you have to expect that sort of thing when you're a culturally sensitive champion of the downtrodden. But tell us, how do you manage to find so many whacko employers, and why do you avoid the more balanced ones?

I was not terminated from this last job per se--in fact, as I mentioned, the school--that is the director of the job itself--gave me a glowing letter of recommendation. The dubious contractor terminated the contract after I gave notice (a silly ethos of mine) that I had accepted a better position, one more suited to my experience and qualifications. I didn't want to take the money and run on the first of the month.

In the meantime, I've worked mostly this past year sub-contracting as a consultant ,so yes, there have been many short term contracts. I feel fortunate to have experienced teaching EFL or ESP with a variety of companies. As for one position I held briefly last year with a Barnum and Bailey's start up university (see veiled sentiments earlier posting on private universities)--which is not on my CV--that contract is in litigaton and I am not at liberty to discuss it. My lawyer is interested in the money. I am more interested in the way my contract was ignored and am determined to have the school follow it to the letter.

Oh, and I did leave Jeddah after a few months (with a letter of no objection-which amounts to a referral)--I'd have stayed if I wasn't allergic to bullets and bright and shiny colleagues who find trips to Thai pharmancies, Bahraini bordellos or lipo suction the best way of coping with the the hardship postings of KSA.

Whatgoesaround, I have some thoughts on things you might want to take up in order to stop obsessing on Zaytuni's work history:

1.Read a book. I would suggest Lessing, Greene, Updike, Theroux, the classics and others but perhaps Tom Clancy might be more your speed. I hear he's quite popular. My nephew likes those Harry Potter books--adults have read this series as well I believe. Tattle-tell Biographies of course would probably be of great interest to you.

2. Examine your own life. Word on the street is that this is the only one worth living.

5. When was the last time you wrote your mother to tell her "I love you. Thanks for carrying my in your body, for giving me the gift of life and teaching me my native language--my one marketable skill."?

6. Get a cat. Get two cats. The more the merrier. I have three.

7. Develop a closer relationship with a Higher Transcendental Consciousness of your understanding. Prayer. Meditation. Lighting a votive candle for peace on Earth.

8. Take up an instrument. Or if you already play an instrument, get better at it. Become the best (fill in the blank) player you can be.

9. Take a Chinese cooking class/ and or imagine the infinity of time and space to put the temporality of your existence into perspective.

10. Clay. Learn to throw clay. It requires finding the center of gravity to shapen a lump of mud into something useful or beautiful--a metaphor not lost on me. Write me and I'll explain: first what a metaphor is then the metaphor of working with clay itself.

I was not terminated from this last job per se--in fact, as I mentioned, the school--that is the director of the job itself--gave me a glowing letter of recommendation. The dubious contractor terminated the contract after I gave notice...

Oh, I see. They didn't fire you, they only terminated your contract. Well, that much is clear. And one of the guys you worked with was surprised that the boss fired you. Okay.

zaytuni wrote:

As for one position I held briefly last year with a Barnum and Bailey's start up university...

Who did you think they were when they hired you? Why did someone with your expertise and experience even apply to "a Barnum and Bailey's start up university"?

zaytuni wrote:

Oh, and I did leave Jeddah after a few months (with a letter of no objection-which amounts to a referral)...

Are you trying to say that a letter of no objection amounts to a recommendation or a testimonial? And that you were not fired?

WGA: what don't you understand about one having a contracted terminated because one gave notice and a sleazy contractor thought more about saving a few quidon housing than providing a sorely needed teacher?

(Why do I even bother helping you comprehend the situation)
OK--The Academic Director and the Dean have a mind to cancel the contract. I was offered a chance to work directly for the ministry but I have another offer which pays beter so i turned them down.

C'mon fellow--my email address is listed--this thread is about helping people think twice about accepting an offer with a disingenious contractor who cares more about names on a pay roster than they do about providing adequate accommodations, experienced teachers--as promised--and allowing said teachers to get on with the business of teaching.

Please oh zaytuni obsessed one, email me and overcome your gutlessness, pointless jibes and quit pulling this thread off topic because you are unnaturally consumed with stalking me from the shadows of discussion thread anonymity.

In simpler terms--do you have anything relevant to contribute to this post about CECN or other sordid contractors capitalizing on Arab parents' trepidations post 9/11 and the not-unwarranted fears these Khaleeji parents have about sending their children abroad at this time (hence the escalating growth industry of sub-standard tertiary institutes-most owned by trading companies who advertise their shady ties to some accredited university who contribute nothing other than an endorsement)?